K-State Research and Extension

Last year in early June, I met Sara Murphy. She stopped by my office to introduce herself; she is our 4-H Geology Volunteer Leader. I had never participated in a geology project, so she invited me on field trip to learn what this project was all about.

I followed a caravan of at least 15 vehicles down rural Harvey County roads until we stopped at a farmhouse on a dirt road. Kids piled out of the vehicles and they began scouring the ground for a specific rock specimen at Sara’s command.

Sara has been sharing her knowledge and passion for geology with Harvey County 4-H for 50 years this year. She is the type of person that you could spend hours with, just listening and learning and by the end of it you will have discovered a love for geology that you never knew you had. The passion that she pours into the geology program is contagious.

Next week, Sara and volunteers and 4-H’ers from across the state will head to Tecumseh, Kansas for the state 4-H Geology Field Trip. The 4-H’ers will learn about fossil ID, rock ID, mineral ID, exhibit box preparation, lapidary and more. After a few rounds of workshops and a night of camping, they will caravan out to search for specimens.

We are so lucky to have had a gem of a volunteer (pun intended) like Sara in the Harvey County 4-H program for 50 years now. Sara has not only shared her passion for geology, but has helped to empower kids with the skills that they need to lead for a lifetime.